Filling machine



Nov. 29, 1955 J. T. STIGLER FILLING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan.21, 1953 IN VEN TOR. JOSEPH 7. ST/GLER ATTORNEY Nov. 29, 1955 .1. T.STIGLER 2,725,169

FILLING MACHINE Filed Jan. 21, 1953 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 IN V EN TOR. JOSEPH7. ST/GLER A1444 OK arm/run Nov. 29, 1955 J. T. STIGLER FILLING MACHINE5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Jan. 21, 1953 IN V EN TOR. JOSEPH 7.' ST/GLERATTORNEY Nov. 29, 1955 J T. STIGLER FILLING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 5Filed Jan. 21, 1953 ]N VEN TOR. JOSEPH T. ST/GLEI? J Lu;

ATTORNEY United States Patent FILLING MACHINE Joseph T. Stigler,Rochester, N. Y., assignor to The Pfaudler Company, Rochester, N. Y., acorporation of New York Application January 21, 1953, Serial No. 332,259

9 Claims. (Cl. 226-97) My invention relates to a machine for fillingcans, glass jars or other containers with various products.

The machine of my invention is suitable for filling containers with freeflowing liquids such as tomato juice, brine, wines, soups, fruit juices,oil and the like or semiflowable materials such as applesauce, thicksoups and baby foods which are usually finely divided or pulpousvegetable products with just sufficient liquid torender them sluggishlyflowable.

Reference is made to copending application of Everett S. Minard, SerialNo. 147,218 filed March 2, 1950, entitled Filling Machine, now PatentNo. 2,666,564, dated January 19, 1954. Certain features of that machineare common to the machine of the present invention and reference may behad to said application for details of construction.

An object of my invention is to provide a simplified inexpensive machinefor filling containers with an accurate measured volume and hence weightof flowable or semi-fiowable materials.

Another object of my invention is to provide means whereby a part of therotating assembly, particularly the reservoir for the material to befilled into containers and the cylinders together with their pistons andvalves, may be raised and lowered as a unit with respect to thecontainer table upon which containers are moved during the operation ofthe machine to enable adaption of the machine for filling containers ofdifferent heights.

My invention further contemplates a filling machine of the general typeshown in the above mentioned copending application wherein the size,weight and cost of the machine is materially reduced to bring its pricewithin the reach of small canners of food or other products and yetprovide a machine in which the spacing of the containers as they leavethe machine may be varied and be made to conform to the spacing requiredby cansealing machines which perform their operation subsequent to thefilling machine'of my invention, the container spacing means includingmechanism for varying the speed of movement of the containers while theyare in the machine and moving over the annular can table.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will be particularly setforth in the claims and will be apparent from the following description,when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the machine partly in section and showingin detail the driving mechanism for the machine;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken through the upper part of themachine and illustrating in particular the means for raising andlowering the reservoir and the filling cylinders together with theirassociated pistons and valves with respect to the container table toaccommodate containers of different heights;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the machine;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 4--4 of Fig.2;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 except that a part 2,725,169 PatentedNov. 29, 1955 "ice of the container guide has been removed to show thecam which lies below the container guide and actuates the containerpropelling fingers, the actuating means for the fingers being shown indotted lines; and

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of one of the container fingers togetherwith the actuating means therefor.

Referring to Fig. 3, the machine of my invention is circular in planwith the product being conveyed in any suitable preferably continuousmanner (not shown) to a tank 11 which constitutes the reservoir fromwhich the product is withdrawn for discharge into cans, glass jars orother containers to be filled.

Referring now to Fig. 1, a drive shaft 12 may be directly connected to asuitable driving motor (not shown) or may be driven from any othersuitable source of power. The drive shaft enters a casing 13, the shaftbeing journaled in suitable bearings 14 mounted in the side walls of thecasing as shown in the drawings.

The casing 13 also constitutes the main frame of the machine and is arelatively heavy casting supported upon legs 16 the height of which isadjustable. The casing is provided with a removable cover plate 17 whichupon removal enables access to the mechanism located in the casing 13.

A bevel gear 18 located within the casing 13, is mounted on the shaft 12and rigidly keyed thereto as shown at 19. The bevel gear 18 drives abevel gear 21 Which is formed integral with a spur gear 22. The combinedbevel and spur gear 22 is supported on and keyed at 24 to a verticallyextending shaft 23 as shown at 24. The shaft 23 extends upwardconcentric with a pedestal support 26 rigidly secured to the top wall ofthe casing 13 as shown at 27. Adjacent the upper end of the shaft 23 abearing collar 28 is provided which rests upon the upper end of thepedestal support 26.

' The spur gear 22 drives a spur gear 29 fixed by a key 31 to arotatable sleeve 32. The casing 13 is provided with outwardly extendingbosses 33 in which suitable sleeve bearings 34 are mounted for rotatablysupporting the sleeve 32. The lower boss 33 has a removable cap 36 whichtogether with the lower end ofthe boss provides a housing 37 for thereception of a lower support bearing 38. The lower end of the rotatablesleeve 32 is supported by a threaded member 39 which has a shoulder 41,the upper surface of which bears against the rotatable sleeve 32 and thelower surface of which seats upon the housing of the bearing 38.

The projecting end of the threaded member 39 has a hand wheel 43 keyedthereto as shown at 44. A nonrotatable shaft or support rod 46 isthreaded internally of the threaded member 39 and extendsupwardconcentrio with the rotatable sleeve 32. The upper end of thesupport rod has a shoulder 47, the purpose of which will later appear. Abearing sleeve 48 supports the upper end of the support rod 46. Anelongated key 49 is rigidly secured to the rotatable sleeve 32 asindicated at 51.

It will now be apparent that by rotating the hand wheel 43, the positionof the threaded member 39 and the rotatable sleeve 32 so as to projectthe support rod so that the shoulder 47 lies well above the upper end ofthe rotatable sleeve 32.

Referring now to Fig. 2, a support plate 52 is mounted on the shoulder47 of the support rod 46 and includes a downwardly extending tubularpart 53 which has a keyway adapted to mate with the elongated key 49 ofthe rotatable sleeve 32. The support plate 52 is rigidly connected bybolts to a casting 54 which constitutes the well of the reservoir 11,the cylindrical part of the reservoir being rigidly secured to the well54. A casting 56 rigid with the depending portion.53 of the plate 52rotates therewith, the lower end of the casting being 3 seated upon androtatable with respect to the upper boss 33 of the casing 13.

Rigidly secured to the upper boss 33 is a casting 58 which has aplurality of arms 5) which extend outwardly and upwardly and support acam ring 61, the function of which will later appear.

An annular platform 62 (Fig. 2) extends in surrounding relation to thereservoir and is supported therefrom by castings 63 which are rigidlysecured to the platform and the side wall of the reservoir'well 54, asindicated at 64. The annular platform thus constitutes part of therotatable assembly of the machine.

A plurality of cylinders 66, in this case 6 are rigidly secured to theannular platform 52 as shown at 67-. These cylinders have pistons 68operable therein. For the purpose of operating the pistoins, the sidewalls of the cylinders are provided with elongated slots 69 adapted toslidably receive blocks 71 which are secured to the pistons and on theouter ends of each of which a roller 72 is mounted. The rollers 72 rideupon and are guided by a pair of cams 73.

The main casing 13 carries castings 74 adapted to receive upright posts76 which carry an annular support ring 7'7. An adjustable rod 78 isthreaded into the support ring '77 and is connected as shown at '79 tothe lower of the earns 73 (Fig. 2). The cams 73 are adjustably securedtogether by means shown at 75' (Fig. 1).

Upon adjusting the threaded rod 78, the cams may be tilted as a whole toadjust the throw of pistons 68 and hence the volumetric fill. When thethreaded rod 73 has been properly adjusted it may be locked in positionby the means shown at 81.

The cylinders 66, the pistons 68 and the manner in which they areconnected to the rollers 72 and the means of adjusting the cams 73 forthe purpose of varying the volumetric fill are more particularlydescribed in the above mentioned co-pending application.

Carried by the reservoir well 54'are a plurality of, in this case 6,valve seat castings 82 which are machined to receive conical valves 83which are held on their seats by spring pressed members 84. The annularplatform 62 is provided with ports 86 which mate with ports 87 and 8'3formed in the valve seat casting 82. Each valve has a port 89 which maybe brought into registry with a port 91 formed in the wall of thereservoir well 5 5. The valve seat casting also has a filling port 92into registry with which a filling port 93 extending through the valvemay be brought.

When the valve is in the position shown in Fig. 2 the piston 68 ismoving upward withdrawing the product from the reservoir through ports91, S9, 87 and 86 into the cylinder. When the valve is rotated through90' the ports 92, 93 and 83 are brought into registry with each otherand the piston 68 moves downward to discharge the product into acontainer to be filled, the port 89 during this operation beingclosed tocut off communication between the reservoir and the cylinder. Theparticular construction of the valves and ports and the manner in whichthe valves are seated constitute no part of my present invention and aremore particularly described in the above mentioned copendingapplication.

Each of the valves is provided with a crank 96 (Fig. 1) upon the end ofwhich a roller 97 is mounted. Depending from the supporting ring 77 aretwo castings 98 '(Fig. 2), one of which is not shown. These castingssupport cam elements adapted to actuate the rollers 97 to shift thevalve 83 through 90 to open and close the valves. The particulararrangement of cams to open and close the valves constitutes no part ofthe invention. A suitable arrangement is shown and described in theabove mentioned a-p nding ppl i n- .R idly s ppor ed from h brac s 74 (FCarried by the casing 13 is a container platform 101 over which thecontainers are moved as will presently appear. Mounted on the containerplatform 101 is a series of brackets 102 (see Fig. 4) which carry anannular c0ntainer guide ring 103. The container guide ringv 103constitutes the outer guide,v for the containers as they are rotatedover the stationary platform 101.

As previously mentioned, the casting 56 is part of the rotatableassembly and carries a support 104. An inner annular guide ring 107 issecured, in the manner shown at 106 (Fig. 2), to the supports 104. Theinner guide ring 107 for the containers therefore constitutes part ofthe rotatable assembly (see also Fig. 4).

Keyed to the upper end of the shaft 23 (Fig. 2 is an annular plate 108to which a star wheel 109 is rigidly secured as shown at 111. The starwheel has a plurality of, in this case 6 (Fig. 5), container pockets 112which serve to rotate the containers, around the axis of the shaft 23and feed them in timed relation into the machine.

The containers are confined during their rotation by a segmental guide113 The machine is provided with a discharge guide 114 (Fig. 5) and thecontainers are discharged from the machine onto a conveyor 11-5 whichlies below the straight line position of the containers as shown in Pig.5. The container discharge guide 114 is slotted as shown at 116 and issecured in a rigid but adjustable position by bolts 117. The adjustmentis provided to accommodate containers of greater diameter than thoseshown.

When it is desired to change over the machine for filling cans of largerdiameter than those shown in the drawings, the star wheel 109 is changedto one having larger container pockets and an annular guide segment i113of larger diameter than that shown is employed. In addition, the outercontainer guide 103 is changed and one of larger diameter substitutedtherefor. Other than as mentioned, the parts of the machine remain thesame and no adjustment except for the discharge guide 114 and increasingthe volume of fill as previously mentioned, is required. The machine maybe quickly converted for filling containers of diameters, withinreasonable limits, other than those shown in the drawings,

One or" the problems encountered by designers of machines of thecharacter with which this invention is concerned is that the containerswhen they leave the machine, as shown in Fig. 5 must be spaced along thedischarge conveyor properly for reception a sealing machine whichapplies the covers to the containers and seals them. The speed ofoperation of sealing machines varies. While many of them are of variablespeed, usually the canner desires a certain speed of. operation to meeta predetermined production schedule. To secure the proper spacing of thecontainers, the angular speed f th conta ne s w en rotating n h o t inPlatform should be that required to properly space the containers on theconveyor for reception in the sealing machine. Such a machine wouldnecessarily have to be larger in diameter th n t a h wn and w uld requia rea r number of filling cylinders. Then by varying the speed ofoperation of the filling machine, the proper'spacing of the c ain rs onthe disch rg on ey r m y be tained. To secure the flexibility necessarywould require considerably more expensive machine than that shown. t t sm m a e tain minimum pacing of. he y rs 66 is n ce sary 0 qemm datethem. Th t i t on a ne s at the minimum s ant om e a of h m chi sh n nig 5 o e re minim m machine costQonly a predetermined number ofcylinders can be accommodated around the periphery of the reservoir, inthis case, 6

To secure the proper spacing of the containers at the discharge of themachine; reduce the machine to a minimum diameter and therefore cost;secure a smooth transition of the containers into and ont of themachine, I have P d mech n sm whic includes me n for spe d n up the conainer r p ling e ements at e t points in their travel around the axis ofthe machine and slow-ing up s ch cen r st; r pelli g el mssts' anotherpoint in the rotation thereof around the axis of the machine.

Referring now to Fig. 6, the container propelling mechanism comprises aplurality of container propelling elements or fingers 121 which arepreferably curved in the direction of their rotation and are rigidlysecured to vertically extending rods or pins 122 as shown at 123. Thepins are rigidly secured to a member 124 at 126 and the outer endsthereof have secured thereto a pin 127 upon which a roller 128 rotates.The finger 121, the rod 122 and member 124 constitutes a bell crank.

As previously mentioned and referring to Fig. 1, 61 is a cam ring whichhas a cam surface 129 formed on the inner surface thereof, which cam isshown in outline in Fig. 5. The rollers 128 ride on this cam surface 129and are urged into engagement therewith by springs 131.

As shown in Fig. 2, the pin 122 has a suitable bushing 133 which iscarried in a bore provided in the casting 56 which as previouslymentioned constitutes part of the rotatable assembly. The pin 122 isfree to .pivot in its bushing. One end of the spring 131 is curled overthe member 124 (Fig. 6) to anchor it as shown at 134, the other end ofthe spring 131 being anchored in an aperture 136 provided in the underside of the casting 56. The action of the spring as will appear fromFig. is to continuously urge the roller 128 into engagement with the camsurface 129.

The cam surface 129 is shaped to secure the results which follow. Thereis, of course, a maximum speed at which the filling machine may operateWithout the material slopping over the sides of the containers. Thespeed of the machine is further limited by the time interval required tofill the containers. With the speed of the machine at its maximumconsidering the above limiting factors, the containers can be dischargedonly at a given maximum rate. This rate of discharge is of course thesame as the speed at which the sealing machine is regulated to operateand is necessarily the same as the rate at which the conveyor 115 isoperating to remove containers from the filling machine and deliver themto the sealing machine. However, because a minimum diameter of fillingmachine is desiredwhich minimum will accommodate only six fillingcylinders, the spacing of the containers on the filling machine isgreater than is essential on the conveyor properly to space thecontainers for reception by the sealing machine.

To obtain the proper spacing of the containers on the conveyor, thecontainers must be slowed down as they approach and move onto thedischarge conveyor 115. Thus at the point 140 the cam surface 129 iscurved inward toward the axis of the machine which results in slowingdown the container engaging end of the finger. Thus the containers maybe said to catch up to each other. Since the slope of the cam 129 beyondor counterclockwise of the point 140 is gradual, the transition fromfast rotation to a slower rotation is gradual and the transfer of thecontainers from the filling machine to the conveyor is smooth andspillage of product is avoided.

I have indicated in the drawings the end of the conveyor at 141. If itis found that the containers are slowed down to an extent greater thanthat required to give the spacing necessary on the discharge conveyor,the conveyor is shifted to the left, as viewed in Fig. 5, so that thecontainers move on to the conveyor at an earlier point in theretardation of the propelling fingers. This increases the spacing of thecontainers on the conveyor over that shown in the drawings. If thereverse, that is, closer spacing of the containers on the conveyor isnecessary, the conveyor is shifted to the right of the position shown at141.

The cam surface rises from the point 140 to the point 142 after which itrecedes from the axis of the filling machine to a low point 143. Duringthis interval the propelling end of the finger is being speeded up. Thisspeed ing up is followed again by a slowing down of the speed of thefinger as the cam rises. When the roller reaches about the point 144 thespeed of the finger must be such that it may insert itself between twocontainers on the star wheel without touching either of them.

The star wheel should be preferably as small in diameter as possible tominimize use of floor space. Since both the star'wheel and the fillingmachine have six container stations, the angular speed of the star wheeland the filling machine must be the same. As a container is dischargedonto the filling machine platform 101 by continued rotation of the starwheel, the propelling end of the finger picks it up and the shape of thecam is such that the angular speed of the propelling end of the fingeris essentially the same as that of the filling machine. Beyond thispoint the filling position of the machine begins and the angular speedof the propelling end of the finger must be the same as the angularspeed of the filling machine in order to maintain the container underthe filling opening of the valve. Thus around the machinecounterclockwise to the point on the cam, the cam is of fixed distancefrom the axis of the machine prior to which the containers have beenfilled.

The timed relation of the operation of the valves and the pistons; themanner of adjustment of the cam 73 to vary the volumetric fill; and asuitable no-can fill mechanism has been described in the above mentionedapplication and need not be repeated herein.

It will beapparent that I have provided novel means for enabling thereduction in diameter of a filling machine and reduced the number ofpistons and cylinders required to a minimum to thereby reduce the costof the machine to a price within the range of small canners. At the sametime the containers are properly spaced in the machine during fillingand a smooth transition of the containers to and from the machine isobtained. Of greater importance is the fact that the containers may beproperly spaced on the discharge conveyor in accordance with therequirements of the sealing machine.

In the manner previously described, the entire rotating assembly withthe exception of the casting 56 and the parts carried thereby may beraised from the position shown in the drawings to accommodate containersof increased height. By simple means, as previously described, themachine may be readily converted to accommodate containers of somewhatlarger diameter than those shown in the drawings.

While I have shown the preferred form of my invention, it will beappreciated that various changes may be made, particularly in the formand relation of parts, without departing from the spirit of my inventionas set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A filling machine for containers comprising, in combination, areservoir for the material to be filled into the containers and having avertical axis, means for rotating the containers around said verticalaxis through a path of travel which at all points is equidistant fromsaid vertical axis, means for filling the containers from said reservoiras they rotate about through said path of travel, and means for varyingthe speed of rotation of said containers during portions of theirrotation through said path of travel.

2. A filling machine in accordance with claim 1 in which the speed ofrotation of the containers is decreased adjacent the end of said path oftravel.

-3. A filling machine for containers comprising, in combination, areservoir for the material to be filled into the containers and having avertical axis, means for rotating the containers around said verticalaxis through a circular path of travel, means including a plurality ofcylinders for filling said containers spaced around said vertical axisabove the circular path of movement of said containers, means forrotating said reservoir and cylinders as a unit, means for maintainingthe speed of rotation of the containers and the speed of rotation of thecylinders the same while the containers are being filled and means forvarying the speed of rotation of the containers during portions of theirmovement through said circular path of travel.

4. A filling machine in accordance with claim 3 in which the speed orrotation of the containers is decreased adjacent the end of said path oftravel.

5. A filling machine in accordance with claim 3 in which a conveyor ispositioned adjacent the end of said path of travel and in which thespeed of rotation of the containers is decreased prior to and during thetransition of said containers from said machine to the conveyor.

6. A filling machine for containers comprising, in combination, areservoir for the material to be filled into the containers and having avertical axis, means comprising a plurality of pivoted fingers forrotating said containers around said vertical axis through a path oftravel, means including a plurality of cylinders for filling saidcontainers spaced around said vertical axis above the path of movementof said containers, means for rotating said reservoir and cylinders as aunit, means for maintaining the speed of rotation of said fingers andthe speed of rotation of said cylinders the same while the containersare being filled, said means including a cam for actuating said fingersand rotating said fingers about their pivots adjacent the end of thepath of travel to decrease the speed of rotation of the containers.

7. A filling machine in accordance with claim 6 in which a conveyor ispositioned adjacent the end of the path of travel to which the filledcontainers are transferred, the decrease in speed of rotation of thecontainers being gradual whereby the conveyor may be shifted withrespect to the path of movement to secure a desired spacing of saidcontainers on said conveyor.

8. A filling machine for containers comprising, in combination, areservoir for the material to be filled into the containers and having avertical axis, means including a plurality of fingers for rotating thecontainers around said vertical axis through a path of travel, meansincluding a plurality of cylinders for filling said containers spacedaround said vertical axis above the path of movement of said containers,means for rotating said reservoir and cylinders as a unit, means formaintaining the speed of rotation of the fingers and the speed ofrotation of the cylinders the same while the containers are beingfilled, and means for varying the speed of rotation of said fingersduring portions oi their movement through said path of travel.

9. A filling machine in accordance with claim 8 Wherein the containersare moved onto the platform by a star wheel and variation in the speedof movement of the fingers as the containers ride onto the platformspaces the containers on the platform in accordance with a desiredspacing and a conveyor positioned adjacent the end of the path of travelfor the reception of the containers, and means are provided fordecreasing the speed of rotation of the fingers adjacent the end oftheir path of travel and secure a smooth transition of the containersfrom the platfornft to the conveyor and a desired spacing of thecontainers thereon.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

